Lock means



March 30, 1965 J. E. GILBERTSON 3,175,853

LOCK MEANS Filed April 30, 1962 Fig: 2

//VVENTOR JOHN E GILBERTSON United States Patent M 3,175,853 LOOK MEAN John E. Gilhertson, 32% Douglas, Des Moines, Iowa Filed Apr. 3@, 1962, Ser. No. 191,19@ 4 Claims. (6i. Esq--86) This invention relates to a locking means and more particularly to a locking device that cannot be actuated by a youngster.

One of the most serious problems confronting the well-being of children is their tendency to open compartments, containers, bottles and actuate mechanical equipment. Often the containers or like contain materials that would be most dangerous if the youngster were to eat the contents. Also some materials are harmful to the eyes or skin. Furthermore, some mechanical and/ or electrical devices are dangerous, or of such nature that the youngster should not actuate. Some effort has been made to solve the problem by keeping medicines, cosmetics, and like, in a locked cabinet. This procedure, however, presents a time consuming task in the unlocking and locking of the cabinet. Also, it is not convenient to keep many often used items such as lipstick containers and like, under lock and key.

Therefore one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a locking means that is easily operated by a grownup person but cannot be operated by a youngster. i

More specifically, the object of this invention is to provide a locking device that is releasable by the thumb nail of the user.

A further object of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism that may be easily selectively placed in a non-functioning condition.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a locking means that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and refinedin appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my device in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side sectional view of the device in use, taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one form of the device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the device and shows how the device is unlatched by the thumb nail, or placed in an inoperative condition;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the actuating piston of the lock; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of another form of structure of the device.

Although the principle of my lock means may be used on any type of container or apparatus, I will describe its use on a tubular container as shown in these drawings.

The numeral 10 designates a first tubular cup housing and the numeral 11 a second inverted tubular cup housing. In FIG. 6 the housing 11 extends into the housing 10'. In FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the housing 11 embraces the housing 10. I will first describe the lock shown in FIG. 6 wherein the upper end portion of the tubular housing 11' detachably slidably extends into the tubular housing 10'. Such constructed containers are most common. The rim edge of the tubular housing 11' extends inwardly in the form of a flange 0r ledge 12. On the outer side of the lower portion of the tubular member 10 I have a rela- 3,175,853 Patented Mair. Bfi, 1965 tively thick rigid body 13. This body 13 has a narrow horizontal slit groove opening 16. The width of this slit opening is only slightly greater than that of the thickness of a thumb or finger nail. The length of the slit 16 extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the housing 10. The numeral 15 designates a cylindrical hole extending through the body 13 and the wall of the housing 10'. This hole 15 bisects the groove slit 16 and extends transversely of the length of the slit 16 as shown in FIG. 1. The numeral 17 designates a small shoulder in the upper side of the cylindrical hole and which faces to the inside of the housing 10". The numeral 19 designates a leaf bar spring inside the housing 10', and has its lower end area rigidly secured to the inside of the housing lit at a point below the body 13. This spring bar extends upwardly and inwardly with its upper end portion curved first horizontally toward the inside wall of the housing 10 above the body 13 and then curved downwardly to provide the hook 20. By this arrangement of parts, when the tubular housing is slid downwardly into the tubular housing 10', its lower edge portions will slide be tween the upper end of the spring bar and inside wall of the housing 11'. However, upon the lower edge of the housing 11' passing the hook portion 2t? of the spring bar, the resilient yielding action of the spring bar will move its hook portion over and above the flange 12 of the housing 11. With this hook extending above the flange 12, the two housings 10' and 11' that make up the container cannot be separated or opened unless and until the spring bar is manually moved horizontally inwardly to position the hook out of the path of withdrawal of the flange 12. I make this possible by a small piston 21 on the spring bar, and slidable in the cylindrical hole. To unlatch the lock it is merely necessary to extend the thumb or finger nail into the slot, thus forcing the piston rearwardly against the resiliency of the spring bar. This moves the spring bar rearwardly where its hook is free of the flange 12, at which time the two tubular housings may be separated and opened. The nails of a child are not strong enough to force the piston rearwardly and therefore cannot open the container. When the two tubular housings are slid together the flange 12 will move past the hook of the spring bar and then the resiliency of the spring bar will move its hook over the flange, thereby automatically locking the two tubular housings together. If on occasion it is not desired that the two tubular housings be locked together, it is merely necessary that the piston be pushed rearwardly and upwardly to permit its forward top edge to engage the shoulder 17, as shown in FIG. 4, thus preventing its forward sliding movement and holding the hook of the spring bar out of contact with the flange of the housing 11. To facilitate this manual setting, the forward end of the piston is horizontally notched as shown.

In FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 I show a modified form of structure. All elements are designated by the same numerals. However, in these figures the housing 11 slides outside the housing 10 and the hook end 21 is modified to detachably extend through a hole 25 in the housing It) and a registering hole 26 in the wall of the housing 11. By this arrangement the housing 11 is slipped over the housing Iii, and then the housing 10 is rotated until the two holes 25 and 26 register. If it is desired that the locking means not automatically lock, it is merely necessary to place the housing 11 onto the housing 10.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my lock means without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

3 I claim: 1. In a locking means for selectively holding two members together at times, comprising in combination,

a first member,

a second member,

a slit groove in an outer wall of said first member,

a protrusion on said outer wall above said slit groove,

a protrusion on said outer wall below said slit groove,

a cylindrical hole in a wall of said first member communicating with said slit groove,

a piston slidably extending through said cylindrical hole into the inside of said first member,

a spring catch means secured to the inner surface of said piston and to an insidewall of said first member,

said spring catch means capable of catch engaging the other said member when said piston is in an outward position of its sliding movement with respect to the outer wall of said first member,

and a shoulder on said inner wall of said first member adjacent said cylindrical hole, capable of being engaged by said piston for detachably holding said piston in an inward position of its sliding movement,

said piston having a notch in its forward end adapted to engage said shoulder for selectively holding said piston in an inward position of its sliding movement,

said piston being recessed within said slit groove when said piston is in an outward position of its sliding movement.

2. In a locking means for selectively holding two members together at times, comprising in combination,

a first member,

a second member,

a slit groove in an outer surface of a wall of said first member,

a protrusion on said outer wall above said slit groove,

a protrusion on said outer wall below said slit groove,

a cylindrical hole in a wall of said first member communicating with said slit groove,

a piston slidably extending through said cylindrical hole into the inside portion of said first member,

a leaf bar spring being rigidly secured at its lower end to the inside surface of said first member,

said leaf bar spring being secured intermediate its length to the inner surface of said piston,

said leaf bar spring being adapted at its upper end to engage said second member when said piston is in an outward position of its sliding movement with respect to said outside surface of said first member,

a shoulder on said inside surface of said first member adjacent said cylindrical hole capable of being engaged by said piston,

said piston having a notch in its upper forward end adapted to engage said shoulder for selectively holding said piston in an inward position of its sliding movement,

said piston being recessed within said slit groove when said piston is in an outward position of its sliding movement.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the upper end of said leaf bar spring has a fiange member extending outwardly therefrom at substantially a right angle and adapted to extend through registering holes in said first and second members when said first member is slidably embraced by said second member for selectively holding said two members together at times. i

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the upper end of said leaf bar spring has a curved hook portion extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to engage a flange on the lower end of said second member for selectively holding said two members together at times when said first member slidably embraces said second member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,891 Larson Dec. 3, 1901 1,198,862 McCormack Sept. 19, 1916 2,146,125 Maski Feb. 7, 1939 2,809,766 Anderson Oct. 15, 1957 

1. IN A LOCKING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY HOLDING TWO MEMBERS TOGETHER AT TIMES, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A FIRST MEMBER, A SECOND MEMBER, A SLIT GROOVE IN AN OUTER WALL OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, A PROTRUSION ON SAID OUTER WALL ABOVE SAID SLIT GROOVE, A PROTRUSION ON SAID OUTER WALL BELOW SAID SLIT GROOVE, A CYLINDRICAL HOLE IN A WALL OF SAID FIRST MEMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SLIT GROOVE, A PISTON SLIDABLY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CYLINDRICAL HOLE INTO THE INSIDE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, A SPRING CATCH MEANS SECURED TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID PISTON AND TO AN INSIDE WALL OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID SPRING CATCH MEANS CAPABLE OF CATCH ENGAGING THE OTHER SAID MEMBER WHEN SAID PISTON IS IN AN OUTWARD POSITION OF ITS SLIDING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTER WALL OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, AND A SHOULDER ON SAID INNER WALL OF SAID FIRST MEMBER ADJACENT SAID CYLINDRICAL HOLE, CAPABLE OF BEING ENGAGED BY SAID PISTON FOR DETACHABLY HOLDING SAID PISTON IN AN INWARD POSITION OF ITS SLIDING MOVEMENT, SAID PISTON HAVING A NOTCH IN ITS FORWARD END ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID SHOULDER FOR SELECTIVELY HOLDING SAID PISTON IN AN INWARD POSITION OF ITS SLIDING MOVEMENT, SAID PISTON BEING RECESSED WITHIN SAID SLIT GROOVE WHEN SAID PISTON IS IN AN OUTWARD POSITION OF ITS SLIDING MOVEMENT. 